BERHAMPUR: Lauding steps taken to conserve house sparrows, speakers at a seminar on Tuesday said the day is not far when the warble of the little bird will reverberate across human habitations.
Speaking at the seminar on ‘House Sparrow Conservation Abhiyan’, organised by Rushikulya Samudrika Kaincha Surakhya Samiti and Berhampur forest division at Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) office at Gopalpur on Sea, Regional Chief Conservator of Forest S Pant appreciated the efforts of environmentalist Rabindra Kumar Sahu to protect the birds. He highlighted the importance of the bird in protection of environment.
In his address, Sahu, who has been engaged in protection of endangered Olive Ridley Turtles for more than two decades, said decline in the number of house sparrows at his native village Purunabandha in 2008 prompted him to work on conserving the species along with his friends.
Sahu said initially he faced problems in creating nests for the bird, but for the last couple of years, residents of several nearby villages have pitched in to protect the birds. “Now even children have engaged themselves in preparing tiny homes for the little birds,” he said.
Additional Director of AIR, Berhampur, Hrushikesh Panigrahy said house sparrow is an integral part of Ganjam district’s distinct cultural identity. He said the popularity of the bird in the district can be gauged by the fact that a folk dance ‘Chadheyi Nacha’ remains a part of its culture.